IQALUIT DECLARATION IQALUIT, CANADA 24 APRIL 2015 Cover photo: Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit Back Cover: Stephanie Gauvreau, Pangnirtung mountain Layout: Arctic Council Secretariat Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Iqaluit, Canada 24 April, 2015. (Photo: State Department / Public Domain) IQALUIT DECLARATION 2015 3 ON THE OCCASION OF THE NINTH MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE ARCTIC COUNCIL 1. We, the Ministers representing the eight Arctic States, joined by the representatives of the six Permanent Participant organizations of the Arctic Council, have gathered in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, to conclude Canada’s second Chairmanship, under the theme of Development for the People of the North, at the Ninth Ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council, 2. Reaffirming the commitment to maintain peace, stability and constructive cooperation in the Arctic, 3. Confirming the commitment of the Arctic states and permanent participants to respond jointly to new opportunities and challenges in the Arctic, noting the substantial progress the Council has made to strengthen circumpolar cooperation, and affirming the important leadership role of the Council in taking concrete action through enhanced results-oriented cooperation, 4. Reaffirming our commitment to sustainable development in the Arctic region, including economic and social development, improved health conditions and cultural well-being, and our commitment to the protection of the Arctic environment, including the health of Arctic ecosystems, conservation of biodiversity in the Arctic and sustainable use of natural resources, as stated in the Ottawa Declaration of 1996, 5. Recognizing that the Arctic is an inhabited region with diverse economies, cultures and societies, further recognizing the rights of the indigenous peoples and reaffirming our commitment to consult in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned, and also recognizing interests of all Arctic inhabitants, and emphasizing the unique role played by Arctic indigenous peoples and their traditional knowledge in the Arctic Council, 6. Noting with concern the findings of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the Arctic will continue to warm at twice the rate of the global average, increasing the likelihood of severe impacts in the Arctic and around the world, and recognizing that ambitious global and national action is needed to reduce climate risks, increase prospects for effective adaptation, and reduce the costs and challenges of mitigation in the long term, 4 7. Reaffirming Arctic States’ commitment to work together and with partners towards an effective, ambitious, durable international climate agreement in Paris in December 2015 that is applicable to all, and our determination to work within and beyond the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, HEREBY: SUSTAINING ARCTIC COMMUNITIES 8. Welcome the establishment of the Arctic Economic Council, and look forward to developing a cooperative relationship with this body in order to increase responsible economic development for the benefit of the people of the Arctic, 9. Recognize the importance of improving health, mental wellness and resilience in Arctic communities, welcome the progress made through the Circumpolar Mental Wellness Symposium and the review of cancer among indigenous peoples, and encourage continued collaborative and innovative approaches to address health issues in the Arctic, Inuit representatives meet Ministers at the Iqaluit Ministerial Meeting 24 April, 2015. (Photo: DFATD) 5 10. Welcome the recommendations on traditional and local knowledge and recognize the importance of using this knowledge in the work of the Council, instruct the Arctic Council to take relevant actions to implement these recommendations, and note with appreciation the work done by the Permanent Participants to develop their own principles for the use of traditional knowledge, 11. Acknowledge the importance of indigenous peoples’ traditional ways of life to their economic wellbeing, culture, nutrition and health, and welcome the work done on this issue, 12. Recognize the importance of Arctic indigenous languages in empowering Arctic communities, and look forward to continuous efforts to assess and promote Arctic indigenous languages through the Arctic Council, 13. Note the importance of telecommunications infrastructure to Arctic communities, science, navigation and emergency response and decide to establish a telecommunications infrastructure experts group to develop a circumpolar infrastructure assessment as a first step in exploring ways to improve telecommunications in the Arctic, and report to Ministers in 2017, 14. Recognize the importance of freshwater to the health of Arctic inhabitants and their communities and to Arctic biodiversity, and request that appropriate next steps be presented to Ministers in this area and to consider whether existing national or regional initiatives could be extended to other parts of the Arctic, 15. Recognize the importance of community infrastructure and public health to Arctic peoples and communities and decide to consider options for new initiatives, 16. Recognize the importance of Arctic communities’ access to clean, affordable and renewable energy alternatives and decide to facilitate initiatives to promote circumpolar collaboration on renewable energy and energy efficiency, 17. Recognize the growing importance of tourism to many Arctic communities, and welcome the report on Arctic marine tourism, 18. Acknowledge the importance of continued operational exercises in support of the Arctic Search and Rescue Agreement, welcome the progress made under this Agreement, and plan to further strengthen international cooperation toward regional search and rescue capability through work within the Arctic Council, 6 19. Note the work done for the Arctic Council through the second Arctic Human Development Report, acknowledge that gender equality is very important for economic, social and cultural development and improves the prospects for future generations in the Arctic, and welcome the report on current gender realities and future challenges, 20. Welcome the work of the Arctic Council on reindeer herding and youth, and further welcome the promotion of food culture and leadership opportunities for indigenous youth, 21. Acknowledge the cultural and nutritional importance of traditional and local foods, including from marine living resources in the Arctic, andwelcome project proposals to assess and promote food security, The Tlicho Drummers and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Drummers performed together during the Traditional Knowledge outreach event at the Yellowknife SAO meeting in October 2014. (Photo: Arctic Council Secretariat / Jesper Stig Andersen) PROTECTING THE UNIQUE ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT 22. Acknowledge that reducing greenhouse gas emissions continues to be the most important contribution to addressing global and Arctic climate change and to the long-term conservation and sustainability of the unique Arctic environment, recognize that short-lived climate pollutants emitted within and beyond the borders of the Arctic States have substantial impact on the Arctic, and further recognize that efforts undertaken by the Arctic states to reduce these emissions, which complement initiatives such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, lead to climate, as well as health and economic benefits, in the Arctic, 7 (Photo: Arctic Council Secretariat / Linnea Nordström) 23. Welcome the assessments and conclusions on black carbon, tropospheric ozone and methane which provide a clear and compelling basis for further action on short- lived climate forcers in the Arctic and beyond, as well as the successful work related to reducing black carbon emissions from diesel and residential wood combustion, 24. Decide to implement the Framework for Action on Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions reductions, establish an expert group reporting to Senior Arctic Officials to report on our collective progress, and call upon observer states to join us in these actions given the global nature of the challenge, 25. Recognize that resilience and adaptation to climate change are critically important for Arctic communities,welcome the launch of the Arctic Adaptation Exchange Portal, which will allow Arctic communities to exchange experiences, lessons learned and best practices as they continue to adapt to a changing climate, andcommit to complete the ongoing work, 26. Recognize the importance of risk assessments in relation to climate change, and the need to evaluate the widest possible range of impacts, appreciate the effort to provide updated knowledge of changes in Arctic snow, water, ice and permafrost, and welcome the efforts within the project Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic to integrate climate projections with knowledge about other drivers of change, in order to inform decisions and develop adaptation strategies, 27. Note the importance of climate science to the Arctic, and encourage the creation of an enhanced elevation map of the Arctic to provide improved information for use in scientific analysis and sustainable development, as well as an Arctic climate change indicator system to help predict the effects of climate change in the region, 8 (Photo: Larry Trigatti) 28. Welcome the launch of the Project Support Instrument in 2014 to facilitate the financing of Arctic Council projects related to pollution